Perhaps even more significant for us is Joaquín's own
background as an active social tango dancer  an interest
that has blended with his own deep knowledge of musical performance,
history and composition, leading him to investigate a number of
challenges that many of us face as tango dancers:

If we do not have the benefit of formal music
training then ...

How can we as tango dancers take in, process + respond to
the many layers, subtlties + nuances of tango music ...

In ways that help us create, discover + explore our own unique
dance more effectively ...

And then share it with each other as we improvise together
on the social dance floor ...?

The result is Joaquín's unique and highly innovative program
on Musicality for Tango Dancers ...

In development for more than ten years, Joaquín has presented
his celebrated Musicality Workshops world wide since 2009.
Earlier this year he traveled + taught in
Europe for three months, and his upcoming North American tour
includes visits to Los Angeles, Chicago, Santa Cruz, Champaign/Urbana
... and Ojai.

For a preview of Joaquín playing "live,"
follow
this link to youtube video+ his solo of"Hotel Victoria" at the 2013 Sydney Tango
Salon Festival in Australia.

More on Joaquín's Musicality Workshops in Ojai:

Appropriate for All Levels of
dancers.

By design, the Workshops are fully accessible to beginners
+ newcomers ... while at the same time, they are challenging
+ informative to more experienced dancers.

Aimed at dancers.

The Workshops are not "lectures" on music theory
or history  we will be on our feet and moving most
of the time.

No partner required.

The primary emphasis will be on individual work 
moving in time with particular sounds, aspects, elements,
and features of the music.

In addition to narrating our guided listening + movement
to "Golden Age" classics, Joaquín will
play live on his bandoneón to help illustrate + highlight
key features of the music.

No "steps" or patterns.

The concepts, processes + examples explored are universally
applicable in all Tango situations that we encounter as
both Leaders + Followers  useful for everything from
"simple" walking + turns ... to the most intricate
+ complex combinations that we might create on the improvised
social dance floor.

In addition to music and tango, Joaquín is very fluent
in English, Spanish, French, Italian, German and Portuguese,
which allows him to communicate directly to dancers all over
the world in their native tongue.

Joaquín is also the author of Bailemos con la Música!,
a unique book / CD / DVD resource for dancers interested in
expanding their ear, deepening their musical understanding,
and enhancing their ability to improvise with confidence on
the social dance floor.

The English language version of this project, Let's Dance
to the Music!, will be available for purchase by dancers
during our evening with Joaquín in Ojai ...

 where All the "Fireworks"
will be on the Dance Floor ...

When:

Monday  July 4th  6:00 - 10:00 p.m.

... immediately following Joaquín's afternoon workshops

Where:

Gary + Dominique's lovely "East
End" home ...

2661 Ladera Road, Ojai *

Starting at Ladera + Thacher Road, we
will post signs showing the way through the groves, gates + bridges
up to Gary + Dom's

This will be a "Potluck"
Milonga ...

 Please plan on bringing a Dish
to Share, "picnic" style 

* Parking is Very Limited  All
Dancers are Strongly Encouraged to Carpool !

Joaquín will join us at
the "Potluck" Milonga for Food, Dancing + Celebration
...

 and he will play "live"
for us during the evening on his bandoneón 

More About Joaquín Amenábar

As a musician, in the last two decades Joaquín has
played dozens of festivals and hundreds concerts  interpreting
tango classics as well as baroque, classical, romantic, contemporary
and fokloric music all around the world.

As an orquesta leader, Joaquín was the musical
director and first bandoneón of the Orquesta
Típica de la Guardia Vieja in Buenos Aires,
a 10-member ensemble that recreated the classic sound, sensibility
and arrangements of tango's "Golden Age."

As an educator, Joaquín teaches bandoneón at
the University of Buenos Aires, the Superior Conservatory of
Music in BsAs, and the Folk Music School of Avellaneda ...

As a tanguero, Joaquín has been improvising
on Tango's social dance floor since 1994 ...

More background, bio, links, and information on "Let's
Dance To the Music!"  Joaquín's book
/ CD / DVD package that outlines his unique approach to musicality
for Tango dancers  an excellent way to continue studying Tango
musicality at your own pace.

Joaquín plans to bring a few copies with him + make them
available to Ojai Workshop dancers on Monday.

Last year, 25 dancers joined us in Ojai for Joaquín's Musicality
Workshops ... and while pictures can surely only tell "part
of the story" for any tango workshop  especially one
focused on musicality  these images may give
you a better sense of Joaquín's "hands on" way
of sharing his insights with fellow dancers.

Following his visit to Ojai this year, Joaquín will offer
a series of Musciality Workshops in Los Angeles over the weekend
of July 9 + 10 ... a great opportunity to continue working with
him in person.

Joaquín's weekend in L.A. is hosted by Linda Valentino of
A Puro Tango.

The 10-member tango ensemble that Joaquín played with and
led in the early 2000's in Buenos Aires, patterned after the classic
orquestas of Tango's "Golden Age." Listen to demos
of their music here
...

I read "Tango: Let's Dance to the Music"
about 5 years ago and it completely changed my dancing and understanding
of Argentine Tango music in a profound way. I reached out to author,
Joaquin Amenabar, in Buenos Aires and invited him to come to Bay
Area to share his knowledge with our community. This is my 3rd
year hosting Joaquin Amenabar in the Bay Area.

If you are serious about Argentine Tango you need to take
Joaquin's [Workshops]. As a university music teacher, Bandoneonista
and Tango Dancer his perspective is unique. There is simply no
other musicality course out there as complete and well thought
out as this one.